New Haven alders pass amended tobacco ban

Supporters of new Strong School make presence felt at meeting

Jerry Hackett smokes a cigarette, on the New Haven Green Monday. He supports tobacco bans at places like hospital areas and school grounds but called bans at locations like public parks “absurd.”

Jerry Hackett smokes a cigarette, on the New Haven Green Monday. He supports tobacco bans at places like hospital areas and school grounds but called bans at locations like public parks “absurd.”

Photo: Evan Lips — New Haven Register

Photo: Evan Lips — New Haven Register

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Jerry Hackett smokes a cigarette, on the New Haven Green Monday. He supports tobacco bans at places like hospital areas and school grounds but called bans at locations like public parks “absurd.”

Jerry Hackett smokes a cigarette, on the New Haven Green Monday. He supports tobacco bans at places like hospital areas and school grounds but called bans at locations like public parks “absurd.”

Photo: Evan Lips — New Haven Register

New Haven alders pass amended tobacco ban

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NEW HAVEN >> A busy Board of Alders meeting saw members vote Monday to enact a ban on tobacco use in specific public spaces while backers of a proposed new elementary school on Southern Connecticut State University’s campus filled the rear aisles of aldermanic chambers in a display of support.

The tobacco ban ordinance means smoking — as well as the use of electronic cigarettes — now is outlawed inside all government buildings and at city ballfields, playgrounds, school grounds and parks, including the beach at Lighthouse Point Park. Part of the substitute amendment introduced by aldermanic Legislative Committee Chairwoman Jessica Holmes, D-9, provides the city, however, with the ability to establish designated smoking areas inside banned spaces.

“The revised ordinance is still based on a tobacco ban in public spaces,” Holmes told Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker, D-23.

The ordinance as it originally was written would not only have banned tobacco use at parks and playgrounds but also “any other designated city-owned property.”

Members of the Legislative Committee elected to amend the ordinance, fearing the wording lacked scope.

Holmes told Walker that the ban is “tailored to areas frequented by children” and added that the goal of the ordinance is “to promote tobacco-free environments where children and adults can play and enjoy the outdoors.

The original ordinance called for lawbreakers to face fines of up to $100, but the amended, enacted version calls for first-time offenders to receive a warning. The ordinance will be enforced by police and will go into effect in 90 days. Fines of up to $100, however, will be issued to those who ignore initial warnings.

The lone member who did not vote in favor of the amended version was Alder Andrea Jackson-Brooks, D-4, who abstained. Jackson-Brooks later clarified following the vote her reason for abstention, noting that she did not receive a copy of the amended text. Jackson-Brooks said she did not want to delay the vote by asking City Hall staff to make an additional copy.

About an hour before the final vote, one park-goer expressed his view on the proposal.

Jerry Hackett, who agreed to be interviewed while relaxing on the New Haven Green with a menthol Newport cigarette, said he supports tobacco bans at places like hospital areas and school grounds.

He felt differently, however, about other outdoor spaces.

“Anybody should be able to do what they feel like doing whenever its a wide-open setting like this,” he said, referring to the Green. “My choice is to smoke outside in the open air.”

When informed that he could face a maximum $100 fine for smoking on the New Haven Green if he failed to abide by an initial warning, Hackett shook his head.

“That’s absurd,” Hackett said. “Who am I bothering right now?”

In other business, while the topic of a new elementary school on Southern’s campus was not on the agenda, several alders spoke in favor of the measure after colleagues serving on the aldermanic Finance Committee elected earlier last week to withhold their endorsement.

The city last summer landed a state grant that would cover 79 percent of the cost to build the new school. Prior to Monday’s meeting, Board of Education Chief Operating Officer Will Clark noted that the city would not have to pay Southern for the land. Part of the proposal also involves a partnership with the university and would allow SCSU School of Education students to work at the school and learn under established teachers.

Susan DeNicola, Strong’s principal, attended Monday’s meeting and helped transport dozens of parents and children. Strong students created posters and wrote personal letters to alders, which they placed atop members’ desks prior to the start of the 7 p.m. meeting.

“We’ve made it a nice building but there are an awful lot of maintenance issues like roof leaks,” DeNicola said about the current building. “We can’t go outside for recess and we have no place for gym.”

Clark said the city has until June 30 to act on the state’s grant offer. He added that the offer might not be available if the city doesn’t act by then.

“Absent that, we’d have to start the process all over again,” Clark said. “Even if they (the state) did extend the deadline, the natural cost of escalation in construction would essentially add $1-2 million to the job. It’s going to have to get approved someday but it’s not fiscally conservative if we wait.”

Alder Al Paolillo, D-17, pointed out in last week’s Finance Committee meeting that prior bonding commitments on recently built schools make it hard to justify the spending to taxpayers.

“It will provide an opportunity for our students to move into the 21st century,” Spears said. “Not only that, this project has a commitment from the state. We had so many schools built in this city in the past by the former administration without a glitch. Now here we are on the edge of completing the entire portfolio.”

Robinson-Thorpe said she has circulated a letter to other alders outlining her support.

The matter will be decided when the full board convenes May 26 to cast a final vote on the 2015-16 fiscal year budget.